Generating tissue-engineered intestinal epithelium from cultured Lgr5 stem cells in vivo

INTRODUCTION: Generating tissue-engineered small intestine (TESI) from mature intestinal cells has been established in a mouse model. The purpose of this study was to generate TESI from Lgr5 stem cells in vivo. METHODS: We used Lgr5-EGFP mice for intestinal crypt isolation. After seven days, cultured crypts with Lgr5 stem cells were seeded onto a biodegradable polymer and implanted into omentum of NOD/SCID mice. RESULTS: Engineered intestinal epithelium was generated from Lgr5 stem cells after four weeks of in vivo implantation. Intestinal epithelium was immunohistochemically positive for Paneth cells, enteroendocrine cells, goblet cells, microvilli of the absorptive enterocytes and Ki67. CONCLUSION: Our observations suggest that transplanted Lgr5 stem cells can differentiate into the intestinal epithelium in vivo with further proliferative activity.